Prostate Cancer Treatment

A prostate cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming in itself, so it can be daunting when you are presented with all the treatment options.

During your consultation, Dr Vlok will guide you through all your options so you can make an informed decision. However, he urges all his patients not to feel pressured to make an immediate decision. Prostate cancer is slow-growing cancer, so there is time to explore the options he provides.

Dr Vlok's treatment options for prostate cancer are summarised below:

Surveillance strategy

If prostate cancer has been diagnosed in the early stages, a 'wait and see' policy may be chosen to assess if the cancer is growing quickly enough to warrant treatment. The idea is to avoid unnecessary treatment, which comes with its own risks to the quality of life. This does not mean not doing anything but instead involves a regime of regular PSA tests and sometimes repeat prostate biopsies to monitor cancer growth. If treatment is ultimately required, then Dr Vlok will present more options.

Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy, or close-range therapy, is a form of radiation therapy used to treat low-grade prostate cancer. During the procedure, radioactive seeds that kill cancer cells are implanted into the prostate.

Dr Vlok first performs an assessment using MRI scanning to determine the size and shape of the prostate and where the cancer was found. This allows modelling of the dosage of radiation to be given throughout the prostate, maximising cell kill of cancer and minimising injury risk to surrounding normal tissue, such as the urethra and rectum.

The procedure is performed in a hospital under general anaesthesia.

Schedule an appointment to discuss prostate cancer treatment options with Dr Louw-Waldi Vlok.